How does my Logos library compare to that found at a seminary?

I know the answer to this question depends on the type of resources, but I was wondering if there was a way to know how my library through Logos compares to the resources found at a seminary library. I guess asking what resources are available at a seminary and then comparing them to my library would be a better way to ask the question.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Charles

That's a hard one to answer Ronald. When I was at SWBTS in Fort Worth their library is huge, so huge that one could spend all day looking for specific volumes, or resources. Their library catalogue was available at one time on line, however, I don't know if it still is but that would be one way to compare. An off the cuff answer is that you and I likely don't have enough dollars or storage to even try to duplicate something that large. So I guess a comparison between a seminary library and our Logos libraries is no comparison. [:)]

Everett Headley

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/755546#Comment_755546

FWIW,

I spent very limited time in the library at SEBTS in Wake Forest. With the several commentaries I owned and most of the TJL, I had what I needed to write my papers. With the addition of a few online libraries, I never really needed to go to the library. I did go a few times, when the resources I had were weak or limited on a subject, but I really on remember doing that twice.

If you build your library up, especially with the Master Journal Bundle, you should have the vast majority of what you need.

Tom Reynolds

You can download spreadsheets here https://www.atla.com/Members/benefits/statistics/Pages/default.aspx that contain the number of books, etc. that every school accredited with ATS has. e.g. your SWBTS has 475088 books and 96811 journal volumes. Our libraries pale by comparison if we are using these standards. We'll never make ATS accreditation!

abondservant

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/755570#Comment_755570

interesting, SEBTS has about 180k volumes. Makes my 12.5k (in logos 3k in dead tree) pale in comparison.

HOWEVER. I like everett have found that I have all I need, and very seldom visit the school library for books. When I find I lack in an area I usually contact my sales person

EastTN

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/755570#Comment_755570

You can download spreadsheets here https://www.atla.com/Members/benefits/statistics/Pages/default.aspx that contain the number of books, etc. that every school accredited with ATS has. e.g. your SWBTS has 475088 books and 96811 journal volumes. Our libraries pale by comparison if we are using these standards. We'll never make ATS accreditation!

No doubt.

On the other hand, my iPod can tell me how long it would take to listen to every song in my music library - over two weeks, listening 24/7. My guess is that if Logos could do a similar calculation, it would take the rest of my natural life to read everything in my library, even if I did absolutely nothing else.

John Crabtree

While I may never posses the amount or resources that are available in my seminaries library. I do have many of the top commentaries, dictionaries, journals, and other resources my professors recommend for my studies. I found that while my classmates would be gathered spending hours on end in the library waiting for their turn for one of the available resource volumes required to complete their assignment. I could open all the required resources in about a minute and complete my work in half the time and end up with more in-depth research since I had at my disposal more of the recommend resources. I would ask the question does my Logos library have the quality and number of resources to meet my needs in comparison to my seminaries. Rather than how the numbers compare.

Ronald Quick

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/755635#Comment_755635

I would ask the question does my Logos library have the quality and number of resources to meet my needs in comparison to my seminaries. Rather than how the numbers compare.

Absolutely. I'm was curious to the quality of resources over a number comparison.

JoshInRI

I attend Luther Rice Seminary online and many of the great resources I bought years ago are available through our library and internet access.

Still, nothing like having what you need in Logos immediately offline and online too.

My first reaction to your post was a chuckle though. God bless your studies and Logos usage.

SineNomine

To some degree, the answer to this question will depend on the theological tradition of the seminary in question and the particular emphases in its course of studies, as well as how much research is required to complete the assignments.

Lee

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/755662#Comment_755662

I am very happy to have all that i do in Logos, and being that i am serving overseas I could not will not have access to a Seminary library.

But also I have most that i need. And you can't beet having access any place, any time you need.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/755575#Comment_755575

interesting, SEBTS has about 180k volumes. Makes my 12.5k (in logos 3k in dead tree) pale in comparison.

I have a similar number (just over 13k) but, as you say, our libraries pale in comparison to this. But, compared to most people, (both in the past and even today) our libraries are gigantic.

Unix

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/755752#Comment_755752

I don't go by total numbers, I go by how much effort I had put in time into cherry-picking and carefully selecting just what I want to have in two Bible Study softwares (and I have Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity in a third software in which I have about nothing, it's coming to Accordance).
My Logos/Verbum library building days are about over. I don't want further base-packages or start on new sets.

What I have, most of it bought new in Logos/Verbum, some in Accordance and some used, plus little more than a hundred print books, beats the seminary library to which I can travel free and where I've studied the most so far (the capital of this country), by lengths, as I have what I will actually use and not necessarily what the seniour lecturers see as the best (most conforming) bets to recommend to us students, and much of what I have is more up-to-date. I also now have the features. I've mentioned my (estimated as I haven't bothered to count them for quite a while - if I were to count I would probably do an exact count which is comparable across platforms and medias) total number of books whichever software and print, on the first row of my signature (and will continue to keep that information there).

I will continue to buy things like ancient literature, textual criticism and syntax modules in Accordance as well as anything I deem the best purchases (and I'm very inclined to buy them on that platform), I've already put a number of items in my Wishlist there totaling I think slightly less than $1,000 (they are individual titles). Instead of in Faithlife. But I'm not buying Accordance Collections as I can't see any good enough reason for why they add low-end resources. I rather get away a little more expensively with that software.

Yesterday and the other day I read a lot about how to write papers when aiming for some degree such as Bachelors. (My ambitions are higher than that with going to author a book one day, have started to decide on the topic, I think I will include several various things/topics in the book plus a commentary on GJn 2-5.) I've read on bibliometrics from a link in a post I wrote only some posts ago here on the forums (in the thread on the T & T Clark Study Guides), as well as what different universities worldwide require: I saw one South African university stated that books should be 10 years old or newer - but they must refer to broad/common/"popular" subjects on which a lot of research is going on all the time.

I accept some books outside my denominational and other leanings, when they are cheap per volume. But really, there are lots of good reasons to limit the quantity as I don't want clutter plus I want to afford more than just buy the books such as what I just mentioned in the previous paragraph.

I've been selling off Bible Study software books too and don't regret that the slightest. I have about 90% left of the value despite that I've made big transactions twice. There's only one item I may buy again some day, preferably in Accordance: the 1996 LSJ.

I have two decisions to make:

Whether to use a coupon code that I will get soon which is specifically for Feature Collections (I've ruled out other Feature Collections as too expensive - regarding Textual Criticism I'm going to buy the few appealing old individual titles): the one I have in mind is the Timeline. The Timeline Collection contains a resource which is Protestant in a bothersome way: https://verbum.com/product/3939/a-history-of-the-first-christians which I was about to read more than 3 years ago but quickly cancelled (it was quite expensive back then and since then I've succeed with an introductory class in which other books were used), and it contains a conservative item in which I would look up basically only the entries by Anglican authors: ISBE Revised (I've rented the original 1915 ISBE one Month). It's annoying not being able to hide dictionary entries in at least some Bible Dictionaries - I have to wonder whether anyone would agree? I know George Somsel probably agrees. My reason is I'm all for conserving monitor space even when it does take effort.
A very cheap license for the Theological Journal Library. I'm leaning towards not getting it as I'm unsure about the amount of new ideas in it or forthcoming upgrades and because it has lots of (mostly Southern) Baptist journals. I have it in my Accordance cart, I think it won't suddenly disappear from the cart. I'm unsure if the sale has ended or not or soon will but that won't affect the price, I managed to keep track the item thanks to being quick enough to put it in my Wishlist there.

I'd appreciate insights on what level of journals would be needed for example for a Bachelors degree and whether this specific one (the library) or other ones such as JBL (Journal of Biblical Literature) and JTS (Journal of Theological Studies, The) are needed/handy (I'm leaning towards an online subscription from Oxford of the latter one and not to start on any further journal series now nor in the future). If someone has an argument for any of these I'd be glad to hear.

The denomination I'm interested in the most, is the Anglican (ACNA). I do have the ("Topical") Theology Bundle XL which contains what I guess is the major systematic theology work by a German of the Protestant denomination which is a bit predominant over here in Sweden at least in number of members and salary levels for good full-time priests (which seem high to me but probably not are probably not high in international developed country comparison) - that systematic theology would have been expensive to get as "standalone". So I do intend to contrast theologies a bit and also have about 10½ Months left of my Logos Now subscription hoping they take the Systematic Theologies features further.

EDIT 10:08 PM CET: minor typos corrected, a couple of additions.

abondservant

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/755752#Comment_755752

interesting, SEBTS has about 180k volumes. Makes my 12.5k (in logos 3k in dead tree) pale in comparison.

I have a similar number (just over 13k) but, as you say, our libraries pale in comparison to this. But, compared to most people, (both in the past and even today) our libraries are gigantic.

Yes indeed - we are tremendously blessed.

The ability to write a paper without driving an hour to the nearest seminary (not my seminary) to use their library is worth every penny.